Inactivation of the Lactobacillus leichmannii ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase by 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate: stoichiometry of inactivation, site of inactivation, and mechanism of the protein chromophore formation

The ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase (RTPR) of Lactobacillus leichmannii is inactivated by the substrate analogue 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate (ClUTP). Inactivation is due to alkylation by 2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone, a decomposition product of the enzymic product 3'-keto-2'-deoxyuridine triphosphate. The former has been unambiguously identified as 2-[(ethylthio)methyl]-3(2H)-furanone, an ethanethiol trapped adduct, which is identical by 1H NMR spectroscopy with material synthesized chemically. Subsequent to rapid inactivation, a slow process occurs that results in formation of a new protein-associated chromophore absorbing maximally near 320 nm. The terminal stages of the inactivation have now been investigated in detail. The alkylation and inactivation stoichiometries were studied as a function of the ratio of ClUTP to enzyme. At high enzyme concentrations (0.1 mM), 1 equiv of [5'-3H]ClUTP resulted in 0.9 equiv of 3H bound to protein and 83% inactivation. The amount of labeling of RTPR increased with increasing ClUTP concentration up to the maximum of approximately 4 labels/RTPR, yet the degree of inactivation did not increase proportionally. This suggests that (1) RTPR may be inactivated by alkylation of a single site and (2) decomposition of 3'-keto-dUTP is not necessarily enzyme catalyzed. The formation of the new protein chromophore was also monitored during inactivation and found to reach its full extent upon the first alkylation. Thus, out of four alkylation sites, only one appears capable of undergoing the subsequent reaction to form the new chromophore. While chromophore formation was prevented by NaBH4 treatment, the chromophore itself is resistant to reduction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Interaction of 3'-[3H]2'-Chloro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate with ribonucleotide reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii

Incubation of [3'-3H]2'-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate (CldUTP) with adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl), reductant, and ribonucleotide reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii results in the production of 3H2O, uracil, tripolyphosphate, 5'-deoxyadenosine, and cob(II)alamin. The rate of 3H2O release (0.19 mumol/min/mg) is almost identical with the rate of UTP reduction (0.24 mumol/min/mg). The amount of 3H2O release is dependent upon the enzyme to cofactor ratio. With a ribonucleotide reductase: AdoCbl ratio of 1:1000, approximately 500 eq of 3H2O are released. At this time the enzyme is still active, but further destruction of cofactor and turnover of CldUTP is prevented by competitive inhibition of Co(II) + 5'-deoxyadenosine with AdoCbl for binding to ribonucleotide reductase. The 5'-deoxyadenosine and AdoCbl reisolated during incubation of [3'-3H]CldUTP and ribonucleotide reductase contains no detectable radioactivity.     

Hydrogen abstraction from thiols by adenosyl radicals: chemical precedent for thiyl radical formation, the first catalytic step in ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii

Aqueous solutions of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) were thermolyzed with excess beta-mercaptoethanol under anaerobic conditions. The product studies reveal that approximately 90% Co-C bond homolysis occurs, to yield Co(II)cobalamin, 5'-deoxyadenosine, and the disulfide product from the combination of two HOCH2CH2S* radicals, 2,2'-dithiodiethanol; there is also approximately 10% Co-C bond heterolysis, yielding Co(III)cobalamin, adenine, and 2,3-dihydroxy-4-pentenal. The kinetic studies show there is a first-order dependence on AdoCbl and zero-order dependence on thiol under the higher [RSH] experimental conditions used, consistent with the rate-determining step at high [RSH] being the generation of Ado*. The kinetic results require that, in enzyme-free AdoCbl solution, adenosyl radical (Ado*) is formed as a discrete intermediate which then abstracts H* from the added thiol. The activation parameters for Co-C bond homolysis in the presence of thiol trap are the same within experimental error as the activation parameters for Co-C bond homolysis without trap, standard delta H(obs) = 29(2) kcal mol(-1) and standard delta S(obs) = -1(5) e.u. The results, in comparison to the rate of Co-C bond homolysis in ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase (RTPR), reveal that RTPR accelerates Co-C bond cleavage in AdoCbl by approximately 10(10+/-1). The recent literature evidence bearing on the exact mechanism of RTPR enzymic cleavage of the Co-C bond of AdoCbl is briefly discussed, notably the fact that this mechanism is presently controversial, but does involve at least coupled (and possibly concerted) Co-C cleavage, -S-H cleavage, and C-H (Ado-H) formation steps.     

Epimerization at carbon-5' of (5'R)-[5'-2H]adenosylcobalamin by ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase: cysteine 408-independent cleavage of the Co-C5' bond

The adenosylcobalamin-dependent ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase (RTPR) from Lactobacillus leichmannii catalyzes the reduction of ribonucleoside triphosphates to deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. RTPR also catalyzes the exchange of the C5'-hydrogens of adenosylcobalalamin with solvent hydrogen. A thiyl radical located on Cys 408 is generated by reaction of adenosylcobalamin at the active site and is proposed to be the intermediate for both the nucleotide reduction and the 5'-hydrogen exchange reactions. In the present research, a stereochemical approach is used to study the mechanism of the Co-C5' bond cleavage of adenosylcobalamin in the reaction of RTPR. When stereoselectively deuterated coenzyme, (5'R)-[5'-(2)H(1)] adenosylcobalamin (5'R/S = 3:1), was incubated with RTPR or the Cys 408 viariants, C408A-RTPR and C408S-RTPR in the presence of dGTP, the deuterium at the 5'-carbon was stereochemically scrambled, leading to epimerization of the (5'S)-[5'-(2)H(1)]- and (5'R)-[5'-(2)H(1)]-isotopomers. Observation of epimerization with mutated RTPR proves that transient cleavage of the Co-C5' bond occurs in the absence of the thiol group on Cys 408. The rate constants for epimerization by RTPR, C408A-RTPR, and C408S-RTPRs in the presence of dGTP are 5.1, 0.28, and 0.42 s(-1), respectively. Only the wild-type RTPR catalyzes the 5'-hydrogen exchange reaction. Both epimerization and 5'-hydrogen exchange reactions are stimulated by the allosteric effector dGTP, and epimerization is not detected in the absence of the effector. Mechanistic implications with respect to wt-RTPR-mediated carbon cobalt bond homolysis and the intermediacy of the 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical will be presented.     

Mechanism of inactivation of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase by 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-diphosphate: evidence for generation of a 2'-deoxy-3'-ketonucleotide via a net 1,2 hydrogen shift

Sodium borohydride or ethanethiol protects the Escherichia coli ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase (RDPR) from inactivation by 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-diphosphate (ClUDP). Incubation of [3'-3H]ClUDP with RDPR in the presence of NaBH4 allowed trapping of [3H]-2'-deoxy-3'-ketouridine 5'-diphosphate. Degradation of the reduced ketone by a combination of enzymatic and chemical methods indicated that the hydrogen originally present in the 3'-position of ClUDP is transferred to the beta-face of the 2'-position of 2'-deoxy-3'-keto-UDP. RDPR therefore catalyzes a net 1,2 hydrogen shift. Incubation of RDPR with ClUDP in the presence of ethanethiol allowed trapping of 2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone, the species responsible for inactivation of RDPR. Trapped 2-[(ethylthio)methyl]-3(2H)-furanone was identical by 1H NMR spectroscopy with material synthesized chemically. Both subunits of the enzyme are covalently radiolabeled in the reaction of RDPR with [5'-3H]ClUDP. Studies with [3'-3H]ClUDP and prereduced RDPR in the absence of a reductant and with oxidized RDPR indicated that the redox-active thiols of the B1 subunit are not involved in inactivation of the enzyme by ClUDP.     

The human 2'-5'oligoadenylate synthetase family: unique interferon-inducible enzymes catalyzing 2'-5' instead of 3'-5' phosphodiester bond formation

The demonstration by Kerr and colleagues that double-stranded (ds) RNA inhibits drastically protein synthesis in cell-free systems prepared from interferon-treated cells, suggested the existence of an interferon-induced enzyme, which is dependent on dsRNA. Consequently, two distinct dsRNA-dependent enzymes were discovered: a serine/threonine protein kinase that nowadays is referred to as PKR and a 2'-5'oligoadenylate synthetase (2'-5'OAS) that polymerizes ATP to 2'-5'-linked oligomers of adenosine with the general formula pppA(2'p5'A)(n), n>or=1. The product is pppG2'p5'G when GTP is used as a substrate. Three distinct forms of 2'-5'OAS exist in human cells, small, medium, and large, which contain one, two, and three OAS units, respectively, and are encoded by distinct genes clustered on the 2'-5'OAS locus on human chromosome 12. OASL is an OAS like IFN-induced protein encoded by a gene located about 8 Mb telomeric from the 2'-5'OAS locus. OASL is composed of one OAS unit fused at its C-terminus with two ubiquitin-like repeats. The human OASL is devoid of the typical 2'-5'OAS catalytic activity. In addition to these structural differences between the various OAS proteins, the three forms of 2'-5'OAS are characterized by different subcellular locations and enzymatic parameters. These findings illustrate the apparent structural and functional complexity of the human 2'-5'OAS family, and suggest that these proteins may have distinct roles in the cell.     

Products of the inactivation of ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase from Escherichia coli with 2'-azido-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-diphosphate

Ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase (RDPR) from Escherichia coli was completely inactivated by 1 equiv of the mechanism-based inhibitor 2'-azido-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-diphosphate (N3UDP). Incubation of RDPR with [3'-3H]N3UDP resulted in 0.2 mol of 3H released to solvent per mole of enzyme inactivated, indicating that cleavage of the 3' carbon-hydrogen bond occurred in the reaction. Incubation of RDPR with [beta-32P]N3UDP resulted in stoichiometric production of inorganic pyrophosphate. One equivalent of uracil was eliminated from N3UDP, but no azide release was detected. Analysis of the reaction of RDPR with [15N3]N3UDP by mass spectrometry revealed that the azide moiety was converted to 0.9 mol of nitrogen gas per mole of enzyme inactivated. The tyrosyl radical of the B2 subunit was destroyed during the inactivation by N3UDP as reported previously [Sj?berg, B.-M., Gr?slund, A., & Eckstein, F. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 8060-8067], while the specific activity of the B1 subunit was reduced by half. Incubation of [5'-3H]N3UDP with RDPR resulted in stoichiometric covalent radiolabeling of the enzyme. Separation of the enzyme's subunits by chromatofocusing revealed that the modification was specific for the B1 subunit.     

Thermolysis of coenzymes B12 at physiological temperatures: activation parameters for cobalt-carbon bond homolysis and a quantitative analysis of the perturbation of the homolysis equilibrium by the ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii

The kinetics of the thermolysis of 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl, coenzyme B12) in aqueous solution, pH 7.5, have been studied in the temperature range 30-85 degrees C using AdoCbl tritiated at the adenine C2 position and the method of initial rates. Combined with a careful analysis of the distribution of adenine-containing products, the results permit the dissection of the competing rate constants for carbon-cobalt bond homolysis and heterolysis. After correction for the temperature-dependent occurrence of the much less reactive base-off species of AdoCbl, the activation parameters for homolysis of the base-on species were found to be delta H++homo,on = 33.8 +/- 0.2 kcal mol-1 and delta S++homo,on = 13.5 +/- 0.7 cal mol-1 K-1, values not significantly different from those determined by Hay and Finke (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 108 (1986) 4820), in the temperature range 85-115 degrees C. In contrast, the heterolysis of base-on AdoCbl was characterized by a much smaller enthalpy of activation (delta H++het,on = 18.5 +/- 0.2 kcal mol-1) and a negative entropy of activation (delta S++het,on = -34.0 +/- 0.7 cal mol-1 K-1) so that heterolysis, which is minor pathway at elevated temperatures, is the dominant pathway for AdoCbl decomposition at physiological temperatures. Using literature values for the rate constant for the reverse reaction, the equilibrium constant for AdoCbl homolysis at 37 degrees C was calculated to be 7.9 x 10(-18). Comparison with the equilibrium constant for this homolysis at the active site of the ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii shows that the enzymes shifts the equilibrium constant towards homolysis products by a factor of 2.9 x 10(12) (17.7 kcal mol-1) by binding the thermolysis products with an equilibrium constant of 7.1 x 10(16) M-2, compared to the bonding constant for AdoCbl of 2.4 x 10(4) M-1.     

Inactivation of DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment) by adenosine 2',3'-epoxide 5'-triphosphate: evidence for the formation of a tight-binding inhibitor

The suicidal inactivation of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I by epoxy-ATP has been previously reported (Abboud et al., 1978). We have examined in detail the mechanism of this inactivation utilizing a synthetic DNA template-primer of defined sequence. Epoxy-ATP inactivates the large fragment of DNA polymerase I (the Klenow fragment) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (KI = 21 microM; kinact = 0.021 s-1). Concomitant with inactivation is the incorporation of epoxy-AMP into the primer strand. The elongated DNA duplex directly inhibits the polymerase activity of the enzyme (no time dependence) and is resistant to degradation by the 3'----5' exonuclease and pyrophosphorylase activities of the enzyme. Inactivation of the enzyme results from slow (4 X 10(-4) s-1) dissociation of the intact epoxy-terminated template-primer from the enzyme and is thus characterized as a tight-binding inhibition. Surprisingly, while the polymerase activity of the enzyme is completely suppressed by epoxy-ATP, the 3'----5' exonuclease activity remains intact. The data presented demonstrate that even though the polymerase site is occupied with duplex DNA, the enzyme can bind a second DNA duplex and carry out exonucleolytic cleavage.     

Tuning of conformational preorganization in model 2',5'- and 3',5'-linked oligonucleotides by 3'- and 2'-O-methoxyethyl modification

Conformational properties of trimeric and tetrameric 2′,5′-linked oligonucleotides, 3′-MOE-A₃^2′,5′ (1) and 3′-MOE-A₄^2′,5′ (2), and their 3′,5′-linked analogs, 2′-MOE-A₃^3′,5′ (3) and 2′-MOE-A₄^3′,5′ (4), were examined with the use of heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. The temperature-dependent ³J_HH, ³J_HP and ³J_CP coupling constants, acquired in the range of 273–343 K, gave insight into the conformation of sugar rings in terms of a two-state North ↔ South (N ↔ S) pseudorotational equilibrium and into the conformation of the sugar–phosphate backbone in the model antisense oligonucleotides 1–4. 2′,5′-linked oligomers 3′-MOE-A₃^2′,5′ (1) and 3′-MOE-A₄^2′,5′ (2) show preference for N-type conformers and indication of A-type conformational features, which is prerequisite for antisense hybridization. The drive of N ↔ S equilibrium in 1–4 has been rationalized with the competing gauche effects of 2′/3′-phosphodiester and 3′/2′-MOE groups, anomeric and steric effects. Furthermore, the pairwise comparisons of 3′-MOE with 3′-OH and 3′-deoxy 2′,5′-linked adenine trimers emphasized the fine tuning of N ↔ S equilibrium in 3′-MOE-A₃^2′,5′ (1) and 3′-MOE-A₄^2′,5′ (2) by the steric effects of 3′-MOE group and the possibility of water-mediated H-bonds with vicinal phosphodiester functionality. In full correspondence, the drive of N ↔ S equilibrium towards N by 2′-MOE in 3′,5′-linked analogs 2′-MOE-A₃^3′,5′ (3) and 2′-MOE-A₄^3′,5′ (4) is weaker in comparison with 3′-OH group in the corresponding ribo analogs. β^t, γ⁺ and ε^– rotamers are preferred in both 2′,5′- and in 3′,5′-linked oligonucleotides 1–4.     

Studies towards the large scale chemical synthesis of the precursors of ribonucleosides-3',4',5',5'-2H4 and -2',3',4',5',5'-2H5

A summary delineating the large scale synthetic studies to prepare labeled precursors of ribonucleosides-3',4',5',5'-2H4 and -2',3',4',5',5'-2H5 from D-glucose is presented. The recycling of deuterium-labeled by-products has been devised to give a high overall yield of the intermediates and an expedient protocol has been elaborated for the conversion of 3-O-benzyl-alpha,beta-D-allofuranose-3,4-d2 6 to 1-O-methyl-3-O-benzyl-2-O-t-butyldimethylsilyl-alpha,beta-D-ribofuranose-3,4,5,5'-d4 16 (precursor of ribonucleosides-3',4',5',5'-2H4) or to 1-O-methyl-3,5-di-O-benzyl-alpha,beta-D-ribofuranose-3,4,5,5'-d4 18 (precursor of ribonucleosides-3',4',5',5'-2H4).     

Mechanism of inactivation of Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus leichmannii ribonucleotide reductases by 2'-chloro-2'-deoxynucleotides: evidence for generation of 2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone

Incubation of 2'-chloro-2'-deoxy[3'-3H]uridine 5'-diphosphate ([3'-3H]ClUDP) with Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase (RDPR) and use of thioredoxin-thioredoxin reductase as reductants result in release of 4.7 equiv of 3H2O/equiv of B1 protomer, concomitant with enzyme inactivation. Inactivation is accompanied by the production of 6 equiv of inorganic pyrophosphate [Stubbe, J. A., & Kozarich, J.W. (1980) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 102, 2505-2507] and by the release of uracil as previously shown [Thelander, L., Larsson, A., Hobbs, J., & Eckstein, F. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 1398-1405]. Reisolation of RDPR by Sephadex chromatography and analysis by scintillation counting indicate that 0.96 equiv of 3H is bound per protomer of the B1 subunit of the inactivated enzyme. Incubation of [5'-3H]ClUDP with RDPR followed by similar analysis indicates that 4.6 mol of 3H is bound per protomer of the B1 subunit of the inactivated enzyme. No 3H2O is released, and 6 equiv of inorganic pyrophosphate is produced during the inactivation. RDPR is protected against inactivation when dithiothreitol (DTT) is used as a reductant in place of thioredoxin-thioredoxin reductase. Incubation of [5'-3H]ClUDP with RDPR and DTT results in the isolation of CHCl3-extractable material that exhibits infrared absorptions at 1710 and 1762 cm-1. The infrared spectrum and the NMR spectrum of the CHCl3-extracted material are very similar to model compounds prepared by the interaction of 2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone with ethanethiol. Incubation of ribonucleoside-triphosphate reductase (RTPR) from Lactobacillus leichmannii with [3'-3H]ClUTP and 3 mM DTT also results in time-dependent 3H2O release concomitant with enzyme inactivation. Reisolation of the inactive protein by Sephadex chromatography followed by radiochemical analysis indicates that 0.4 equiv of 3H is bound covalently per mol of inactivated enzyme. Similar studies with [5'-3H]ClUTP indicate that 2.9 equiv of 3H is bound covalently per mol of inactivated enzyme. No 3H2O is released. High concentrations of DTT protect the enzyme against inactivation. Extraction of the enzymatic reaction mixture with CHCl3 and analysis of the isolated products result in an infrared spectrum and an NMR spectrum remarkably similar to those observed with the E. coli RDPR. Data presented are consistent with the proposal that both the E. coli and L. leichmannii enzymes are able to catalyze the breakdown of the appropriate 2'-chloro-2'-deoxynucleotide to a 3'-keto-2'-deoxynucleotide that can collapse to form the reactive sugar intermediate 2-methylene-3(2H)-furanone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)